Naples Auto Body Repair and Collision Repair

Jul 16

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paintedcar_full

When it comes to auto repairs there is nothing as convenient as handing it over to your local auto repair shop or collision repairer and letting them handle it. Often drivers are a little daunted by the apparent complexity of the car and are put off working on it themselves. If you drive an older car, finding the parts is often the biggest roadblock to working on it yourself.

If you do want to fix your own vehicle then it is often much easier to do than it first appears. Older cars often have sentimental value that belies their actual value. Often owners only part with their cars when they truly have to, either when they or the car can no longer drive.

Finding parts for older cars isn’t as difficult as it may seem at first. Especially with the advent of the internet. You will need the exact part type and preferably the model number to get anywhere though as there are literally millions of car parts available out there.

Your first port of call should be the manufacturer of the car. They may have old parts in stock or know somewhere that has them. If the car is a classic, they may be able to fabricate a part or again, know someone who can. This is an expensive option though, and should only really be considered once all other avenues have been explored.

If you local car store doesn’t have what you need then your next step is your local junk or scrap yard. A quick call can often save you hours of fruitless searching as the owner will generally know if they have your part, or model of car around. If they don’t have what you need then buy a local paper with classified ads in it. Some private sellers list spare cars and parts only in the paper, so its definitely worth a look.

Check online, in auto forums, or forums or chatrooms specific for your car if there are any. You may find when chatting with other owners that a part may be interchangeable with another, which can broaden your search. These places are a literal goldmine of information and resources. Check Google, EBay and other listing and auction sites for the parts too. These are another popular way for private owners to clear out their garages or storage while making some money.

If after all these options have been exhausted and you have had no luck. The last port of call should be to a local engineering firm to see if they can make one for you. If you have the old part they can often use it as a template for a new one. Be prepared to pay for this as it won’t be cheap!

America, Cars, and MPG

Jul 16

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mustang

We Americans love our cars. We’re famous for it, well that and the cheap gas prices anyway. Even with the slow demise of the auto industry in recent months, we are still stalwart supports of our vehicles.

With increasing gas prices, traffic, and pollution we are still driving everywhere we can and enjoying (mostly) every minute of it. The Transportation Department reports that there are over 107 million households with an average of 1.9 million cars and 1.8 million drivers. They are big numbers. They equate to 204 million vehicles and 191 million drivers to drive them.

There has been a steady increase in cars over drivers for the past twenty five years as families disintegrate, commuting increases, family wealth increases and more teens wanting to drive. The cars themselves have become longer lasting in this time, with a typical car doing 200,000 miles in its lifetime.

The main reason for having a car is to commute to work or the school run, however people are increasingly acquiring vehicles for specialized purposes. Many families have a “weekend car” which is generally a sports car or SUV. They may drive an efficient car during the week and something a little more fun at the weekend.

A survey carried out by the Transportation Department in 2002 found 91% of commuters use their own cars. 57% of these are cars or station wagons, 21% are vans or SUVs and 19% are light trucks. Only 8% of American families don’t own vehicles.

Since 9/11 more people than ever have been taking to the road for their vacations. Flights are down overall with many people electing to stay closer to home and drive where they need to go. With hundreds of thousands of miles of road, there is no shortage of vacation destinations in the country and just about everywhere has a gas station or garage for auto repairs.

Choice may be becoming more limited and gas prices might be getting slowly higher, but there is no perceived change in our relationship with our cars any time soon. The type of vehicle we purchase is slowly shifting away from gas guzzlers to hybrids or more fuel efficient cars, but we are still driving nonetheless.